Improvement in billiard-tables



H. POTTIN.

BILLIARD-TABLE.

No.175,4 95. Patented March 28,1'876.

UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY POTTIN, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BlLLlARD-TABLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 175,495, dated March 28,1876 application filed I December 14, 1875.

T0 allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY POTTIN, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game -Ta;bles; and I do hereby declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompan'yingdrawings,which form part of this specification, in which-- r Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the chess-table, which, when folded, forms a cover for the billiard-table. of the billiard-table. of one of the card-tables inverted.

My invention has relation to billiard-tables and consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, having reference particularly to the means whereby the body of the table is constituted a receptacle for several smaller game-tables, and whereby the table is rendered adjustable to regulate its height or bring it to a true level on an ordinary floor, and whereby the body of the table may be rotated to suit the convenierfce of the players and having further reference to the provision of an alarmregister to note the points of a game.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A designatesapedestal mounted on legs B B, havin gcasters, O O &c., swiveled on thumb-screws c 0, whereby the table may be easily and exactly adjusted to a level, whether on an even or uneven floor. D represents a billiard table mounted on the pedestal A, having a vertical spindle, d, which enters a corresponding socket, a, in said pedestal. By this means the billiard-table is swiveled so that players can sit around it and rotate it to bring their balls before them or in shooting position, without leaving their seats. E represents an alarm register or recording device for noting the shots or points made by the players. Two of these registers, on opposite sides of the table, one for each player, are designed to be employed. Said registers are operated by depressing or pushing in a button, causing a bell, e, to strike one, and indicate the same on Fig.3 is a perspective Fig. 4 is a perspective a dial or other recording device whenever a point is made.

H represents a cover for the billiard-table, having squares h it let into it to form a chess or checker table. It may be employed as such while forming a cover for the billiard-table, or it may be removed from the latter and. placed alone, separate and apart on its own legs. I I represent said legs, which are each attached to the under side of the table by hinges ii, so as to fold inwardly. KK are rigid bars firmly fastened, as shown, to the legs I I, and uniting them in pairs. One ofthese bars is notched, as shown, at k k, to permit the passage of the ends of the opposite pair of legs when folded. L L are two other bars, hinged at I 1,110 fold inwardly, the object of these being to hold the legs I I firmly erect when standing by impinging against the bars K K. M represents a swiveled hook for holding the legs against the under side of the table when folded. N represents another table having legs exactly like those of the table H, the top of the said table N being flat, without downwardly-projecting edges like that of the table H, so as to permit it to rest, with folded legs, in the depressed top of the billiard-table beneath the chess-table. This table N is designed for playing dominoes or other game. 0 represents another similarly-constructed table, which fits, when not in use, in a recess, P, in the billiardtable, and is held concealed therein by a hinged door, 1). This table, when in use, may be employed for cards or other suitable game or purpose.

The advantages of the foregoing construction are briefly as follows: The screw-casters allow the table to be nicely adjusted to a proper lever on any floor, particularly in conjunction with aspirit-level, which I design setting into the back or edge of one of the cushions. By making the table rotate, players may occupy seats around it and bring the halls into shooting position before them without changing their seats, the points being noted in a way that will effectually prevent cheating.

The provision of the top for the billiard-table affords a protection for the latter when not in use, at the same time presenting a handy piece of furniture when removed from its position as a cover.

The construction and arrangement of the various legs and their auxiliaries provide efficient means. for keeping said legs firm and steady when open, and for holding the same into a small space when not in use.

The combination described permits four separate tables to be stowed away into the compass of one, so as to take up the room and present the appearance of but a single table, while affording the facilities of four when the employment of that number is desired.

I would remark that the pedestal A is surmounted by a countersunk disk, S, fastened by screws 8 s s, and having an annular ridge, 8. The spindle d is also attached to a similarly-formed disk, al having screws d and an annular ridge, (i When the table D is on the pedestal A the ridges s and d meet face to face, preventing wabblingv of'the said table or contact of the screw-heads s s and-d I would further remark, that while I-do not regard it as proper to claim under a single application several separate and distinct inventions having no necessary connection with each other, I have, however, specifically, described the smaller tables, because they are constructed in detail with special reference to their capability of being folded and stored in the recess provided for their reception in the billiard-table. Under these conditions the recessed table and the folding tables have corelation.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A billiard-table, provided with a central pedestal or support, and a central spindle or pivot, upon which said table revolves, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a billiard-table, having feet B B, the vertically-adjustable casterwheels 0 for regulating said table to the proper level, substantially as shown and described.

3. In combination with the pedestal A, surmounted by the rigid disk S, the billiard-table D, provided with a central spindle, d, attached to a disk, 01, substantially as shown and described.

4. In combination with a billiard-table, the cover H, provided with folding legs, and adapted for use as a separate table, substantially as shown and described.

5. In combination with a billiard-table, an

alarm register for noting the points of the game, said register beingplaced in or on the side of the table, andjoper ated by a push-bottom, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claimthe foregoing, I

have hereunto set my hand this 3dday of December, 1875.

HENRY PorrIN.

Witnesses:

Tnos. A. GoNNoL Y, OHAs, F. VAN HORN. 

